African Studies Newsletter

Event @ Carleton:”Reflections on the Egyptian Revolution by Dr. Khaled Fahmy”

Tuesday, 15 March, 18:30

Carleton University – Mackenzie Building – Room 3380

Please join us as we host Dr. Khaled Fahmy, Professor of History at the American University of Cairo to offer his reflections on Egypt’s Revolution five years after its inception.
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More about the topic
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"Bread. Freedom. Social Justice. Human dignity". This was the slogan that erupted in Tahrir Square in what proved to be one of the largest uprisings that swept the Arab World in 2011. More than five years later, none of the lofty ideals that this slogan had called for has been fulfilled. On the contrary, the human rights situation in Egypt is worse today than it has ever been in living memory. More Egyptians have been killed by security forces in the past year than during Mubarak's thirty years in power. Courts have been handing down death sentences by the hundreds in sessions that last no more than a few minutes. Hundreds of young activists are now behind bars. Many more have fled the country in self-imposed exiles.

What caused this dramatic setback? How did the Arab Spring morph into a nightmare out of which Egypt, the largest Arab country, finds itself unable to awaken? Has the January 25 Revolution failed? And if so, is this the result of the shortcomings of Tahrir's young activists? Were Egypt's democratic revolutionaries truly democratic or did they fail the first test of democracy when they got a chance? Or is the rapid unraveling of the Arab state system the reason behind the counter-revolution's spectacular success?

Informed by many years of studying Egypt's modern history and reflecting on his own personal experience in Tahrir, Khaled Fahmy will be offering his reflections on Egypt's Revolution.
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More about Dr. Khaled Fahmy
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Khaled Fahmy is a Professor of History at the American University in Cairo. With a BA in Economics, an MA in Political Science from AUC and a DPhil in History from the University of Oxford, Fahmy taught for five years at Princeton University, then for eleven years at New York University before joining AUC in Sept 2010. He is currently the Shawwaf Visiting Professor of Modern Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. His research interests lie in the social and cultural history of modern Egypt. Specifically, he has been conducting research in the Egyptian National Archives for the past twenty years on such diverse topics as the history of law (Islamic shari’a), medicine and public hygiene.
He has published a book on the social history of the Egyptian army in the first half of the 19th century (All the Pasha’s Men: Mehmed Ali, His Army and the Making of Modern Egypt, 1997), a biography on Mehmed Ali (Mehmed Ali: From Ottoman Governor to Ruler of Egypt, 2008), and a collection of articles on the history of law and medicine of the 19th century Egypt (The Body and Modernity -in Arabic, 2004). He is currently finishing a manuscript on the social and cultural history of Egypt in the 19th century as well as an edited book on the history of Egyptian law from the Mamluks to the present. Since the outbreak of the January 25 Revolution, he has been a regular contributor to local and international media.

Flavours of the East Gala 2016

This year, EASAC is focusing on reviving the East African spirit through food, music, live performances, and much more!

We are looking to bring in key members of the East African community here in Ottawa to speak and give insight on ways they are contributing to the EA community and ways in which you can participate.

Since EASAC is devoted to reaching out to the greater East African community, we will incorporate most if not all, of the EA countries in the show. Whether it is the elegant traditional dances of Rwanda and Burundi or the bright colours of kanga from Kenya and Tanzania or the natural turnt vibes of Somalia or the beauty of Ethiopia & Eritrea and the unshakable spirit of Uganda, we got you!

So bring your fine self and come out and taste the Flavours of EA with our amazing caterers who will be serving AUTHENTIC EA food! You will NOT be disappointed!

Tickets
Early Bird: $20 (Now-March 2)
Regular: $25
Non-Student: $40
VIP: $50

Contacts for tickets
Message any of the hosts on FB or come visit us when we are tabling (Feb 29- March 11).
https://www.facebook.com/events/1347802331912513/
Hope to see you there! ;)

Event @ UOttawa: "Structural effects of contact between French and Mambay (Niger-Congo)"

University of Ottawa Linguistics Colloquium Series

Speaker: Erik Anonby, French/Linguistics, Carleton University

Title: "Structural effects of contact between French and Mambay (Niger-Congo)"

Time and location: Wed. March 9, 2:30pm in Hamelin 509, University of Ottawa

Many countries in Africa are considered "Francophone", but French is just one of hundreds of languages spoken there. In this paper, I will look at French and Mambay, a Niger-Congo language of Chad and Cameroon, exploring the question: what structural outcomes does contact between French and Mambay generate in each of the languages? It would be easy to assume that French – as a dominant language of administration, education and media – affects Mambay, but not vice versa, or at least not to the same degree. However, an inventory of linguistic structures used in this contact situation reveals that, on the ground, patterns of influence are more complex than this: in many ways, especially for the spoken language of Mambay communities, the effects of contact point in the other direction. The paper then looks at the recent standardization of Mambay, and shows that in contrast to the spoken language, written French exercises a strong influence on written forms of Mambay.

A reception will follow in Salon Monet.

CELADA – Call for New Members and Invitation to Upcoming Meeting

The Coalition for Equitable Land Acquisitions and Development in Africa (CELADA) is an Ottawa-based organization comprised of Canadians who are deeply concerned with the state of land rights in Africa. Our mission is to build awareness, as well as work on advocacy and activism initiatives in the Canadian context. Our work highlights and addresses the plight of Africans whose precarious tenure security makes them more vulnerable to extreme poverty and food insecurity.

Thus far, CELADA has hosted round tables at the University of Ottawa and on Parliament Hill, met with GAC officials, published reports and opinion pieces, and collaborated with a a number of organizations including Oxfam, GRAIN, USC, the Africa Study Group, and the University of Ottawa, . In 2016 we plan to embark on a number of panel discussions and advocacy related to land acquisitions in Africa.

As CELADA was recently incorporated as a Not for Profit, the coalition is interested in broadening its membership base. Thus we are happy to extend our invitation to you to join us if you are not already a member and also to come to our upcoming members meeting on March 8 2016 (see details below).

Event details:

When: Tuesday, March 8th at 6PM.
Where: University of Ottawa campus at the Faculty of Social Sciences building in room 5028
What: to review CELADA’s latest initiatives, elect our Board of Directors, and discuss activities and fundraising ideas for the coming year.

If you have any questions or are interested in learning more in the meantime, please feel free to contact us at info@celada.ca.

PLAY: The Hottentot Venus [Untold].

March 8-12, 2016
7:30pm
Origin Studio, 57 Lyndale (near Tunney’s Pasture transit station)

Written, directed and performed by Jacqui Du Toit, The Hottentot Venus – Untold explores the story of Sarah Baartman (Saartjie) who was taken as a slave in 1810 and exhibited as a ‘freak’ because of her large posterior. Jacqui Du Toit, takes the audiences on a journey that describes her experience of being a woman of colour and being in similar circumstances. Tickets: $15 advance, $20 at the door. Purchase online at thehottentotvenusuntold.eventbrite.ca

REMINDER-Event @ Carleton:”Human Rights and The Public Sphere in Africa Conference”

The Institute of African Studies – in conjunction with the Human Rights Research and Education Centre of the University of Ottawa – is pleased to announce its 2016 annual conference:Theme: "Human Rights and the Public Sphere in Africa"

Date: March 4 – 5, 2016.

Venue: Carleton University, River Building Room 2220

Time: March 4 (Keynote Lecture: 5:30 pm)& March 5 (Conference Day: 8: 45 am)

This international and interdisciplinary conference intends to facilitate scholarly discussions on the challenges, opportunities, and debates facing the promotion and effective realization of human rights in Africa. Panels include:"Human Rights in Africa and African Human Rights: Retrospective and Perspective,"

"Alternative Approaches to Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Africa"

"Development and Human Rights in Africa"

"Human Rights and African Regional Integration Projects"

"Health and Human Rights in Africa"

The keynote lecture, "Ethnicity, Identity, and Human Rights in Africa", will be delivered by Ato Quayson, one of Africa's most influential cultural theorists, Professor of English and Director, Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies, University of Toronto. Panels feature acclaimed scholars from Canadian Universities, United Nations officials, and practitioners from Canada, the United States, and Europe.

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/human-rights-and-the-public-sphere-in-africa-tickets-21317799111

REMINDER-Event @ Carleton: Book Launch of Calypso Jews with Author Sarah Casteel

Co-hosts:

Sarah Waisvisz

PhD '14, Department of English

Carleton University

Gabrielle Etcheverry

PhD '15, School of Canadian Studies

Carleton University

Sponsored by:

The Institute of African Studies

The Institute for Comparative Studies in Literature, Art, and Culture

Department of English

When: Tuesday, 8 March 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (EST)
Where: Carleton University – 1125 Colonel By Drive. Room 433 (History Lounge), Patterson Hall. Ottawa, ON CA

Call for Papers – Igbo Conference 2016

The 5th Annual International Igbo Conference

Theme: Igbo Fusions: Past, Present and Futures

SOAS, University of London, April 1-2, 2016

The Annual Igbo Conference has carved out a unique space, serving as a bridge between the community and academia. In the last five years, the conference has created discussions and interrogations amongst contributors from all over the world and given rise to interactive sessions, lectures, paper presentations, master-classes and workshops, films, choral performances, traditional dances and masquerades.

The theme for the 5th Annual International Igbo Conference is Igbo Fusions: Past, Present and Futures.
This conference will create a platform for discussions exploring how Igbo culture has been influenced by and influences other cultures. It seeks to complicate perceptions of 'what is Igbo' through examining the diversity amongst the Igbo at 'home', abroad and in digital spaces.

The Igbo people's decentralised system of governance led to the development of politically autonomous communities. Within Igboland an individual's identity was often rooted in their clan or village. The many cultural and linguistic variations amongst the Igbo have led to a series of debates centring on who is Igbo. The 20th Century saw an increase in the articulation of a pan-Igbo identity, but in post-Biafra Nigeria it also saw some members of Igbo speaking groups in the Niger Delta dispute their Igbo ethnic identification. This conference is interested in exploring how the Igbo identity is understood and constructed in different eras and locations.

In exploring the various manifestations of 'Igboness', this conference intends to create a space for issues of contemporary and historical relevance. This includes historicising the fusion between the Igbo and their neighbours, examining Igbo heritage in the older Igbo Diaspora in the Americas and Europe, and engaging with contemporary examples of Igbo fusion and identity formations both in Nigeria and abroad.

For more information, click here

Iso Lomso Fellowships for Early Career African Researchers

Iso Lomso Fellowships provide an exceptional early career opportunity for Africa's brightest minds in academia. Iso Lomso means 'the eye of tomorrow' in isiXhosa: seeing towards the future, laying the foundations for tomorrow.

Iso Lomso Fellows will enjoy:

a three-year attachment to STIAS during which time they may spend a total of ten months in residence at STIAS to develop and pursue a long-term research programme;
the possibility of a residency at a sister institute for advanced study in North America, Europe or elsewhere;
funding to attend up to three international conferences or training workshops anywhere in the world;
support to convene a workshop with collaborators at STIAS;
lecturer replacement subsidy for the fellow's home institution during residency periods.

The programme is aimed at African scholars who have obtained a doctoral degree within the preceding eight years and who hold an academic position at a university or research institution anywhere in Africa. Preference will be given to candidates who have established a research programme and have completed a post-doctoral fellowship. All disciplines are considered.